The sport of bodybuilding: wonders and controversies
Bodybuilding is now considered a sport rather than a simple act of vanity. Body sculpture has already been a part of human existence since time immemorial. Since the Renaissance, there are already waves of men who build their bodies in a specific proportion. You can see it in his artwork, where most of the muscle is associated with something that is beautiful. Today, bodybuilding is more than an act to reach the goal of reaching proportions for the love of vanity. Now it has become a recognized sport around the world.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been popularized for that sport. It was in his documentary film “Pumping Iron” that he brought the casual audience into the world of bodybuilding. It was the 1975 Mr. Olympia. Arnold Schwarzenegger faced his rival Lou Ferigno, a young newcomer who was 6’5 “of solid muscle mass.
Today, although decades have passed since Schwarzenegger’s docudrama; bodybuilding is still alive and well. From the pros who compete in annual competitions like Mr. Olympia and Musclemania to the bodybuilding hobbyists who are dubbed as gym rats; the culture of machismo and the perfection of the human body is becoming more popular than ever.
In every fitness store you go to, you can’t help but notice the different brands of protein drinks that are used as supplements for those who are engrossed in bodybuilding, fitness sports, and sometimes even combat sports. Today there are different gyms that thrive in different parts of the world making the sport even more accessible to many. Recently, after the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, bodybuilding in his country has been open to the average citizen. During Saddam Hussein’s time, only the privileged could do bodybuilding in gyms. But today, more kids are getting into sports; either because of the love or the demand for bodyguards in Iraq.
Despite how much popularity he is gaining today, there are many controversies that have been circulating in his sport. The main concern should be the use of anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids, unlike circulating steroids that our body normally secretes, are synthetic. To put things in an easier perspective for non-medical readers, anabolic steroids or more commonly referred to as “roids”; stimulates hormones to build muscles. Because of this relative advantage over “clean” bodybuilders, it has been described as an open secret to the bodybuilding community. But the recent controversy with anabolic steroids has now been circulating even in the world of other sports such as baseball, boxing, and more recently, MMA.
Could it be that people’s natural tendency to find a way to improve their physique is taking its toll on us today? Could this simply mean that a proper diet and exercise program will no longer work? Professional bodybuilders now rely on “roids” as a complement to what they do; although steroid use has already faced different side effects, including liver problems? Whatever it is, the sport of bodybuilding is here to stay; since our tendency to make a more voluminous masculine physique is an imprint on our genetics as human beings.